Lift truck for stacked racks



LIFT TRUCK FOR STACKED RACKS Filed March 30, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet l Z6 INVENTOR.

77/5000)?! ff. M0770 BY 1 fla k/$4.1. /7 2 Q; l. 157 'I fl7'7'dfi/V5VJ Dec. 4, 1962 T. R. MUTTO 3,066,813

LIFT TRUCK FOR STACKED RACKS Filed March 30, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 77150000: R. Mar 70 Dec. 4, 1962 T. R. MUTTO 3,066,813

LIFT TRUCK FOR STACKED RACKS Filed March 30, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. 77Y000RE 5. Mar 70 3,4362%813 LEFT TRUCK FUR STACKED RACKS Theodore R. Motto, Shaker Heights, @hio, assignor to Nastaway incorporated, fllevelan-d, Ohio, a corporation of @hio Filed 39, 19519, Set. N 18,545 6 Claims. (til. 214-884) The present invention relates to a lift truck for picking up and transporting a stack of like receptacles, such as racks for baked goods or bread, which are adapted to tier with each other when full and nest with each other when empty.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a lift truck for picking up a stack of like receptacles, each receptacle having rigid end members spaced apart horizontally and at a predetermined vertical height above the bottom of the associated receptacle, the lift truck having novel means for supporting the end members of the bottom receptacle in a stack to thereby pick up and move the entire stack.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved lift truck for transporting a stack of like receptacles, the receptacles being adapted to tier and/ or nest with each other without the use of moving parts and requiring no orientation and each receptacle having upper rigid end members spaced apart, the truck having novel means for supporting one of said receptacles by its upper rigid end members so that the truck can be wheeled under the stack and the stack lifted from its supporting surface for transportation thereof.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a lift truck for a stack of like receptacles, each receptacle having rigid end members spaced apart horizontally and at a predetermined vertical height above the bottom of the associated receptacle; said truck having a frame, wheel means supporting the frame for rolling movement along a path, each receptacle having a clearway beneath each of the end members opening towards one side of the receptacle and the truck having generally parallel supporting arms mounted on the frame to support the rigid end members of one of the receptacles, the truck also having means for lifting a receptacle above the truck supporting surface; whereby the truck may be wheeled toward the stack and the support arms moved to a position underneath the receptacle end members of the bottom receptacle in a stack and the arms moved upwardly to pick up the end members whereby the bottom of the receptacle is cleared from its supporting surface for transportation of the entire stack by the truck.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a lift truck for a stack of like receptacles in which the truck has novel means of picking up and supporting one of said receptacles and hence the stack; the truck also having tilting means including a handle to allow the truck to be moved under the stack of the receptacles and then tilted into position to support the stack free of the floor.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a lift truck for a stack of like receptacles, the muck having novel supporting means for supporting one of the receptacles as well as lifting means including toggles by which the supporting means can be moved into a position to support the one of the receptacles clear of the floor after the truck is moved under the stack.

Other objects will be apparent from the specification, appended claims and the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an improved lift truck of the present invention and showing a man using the truck to transport a stack of tiered receptacles carrying bread or the like;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the lift truck in FIG. 1;

shown FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the truck of FIG. 2 shown on an enlarged scale and in position to lift and support two stacked receptacles;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line indicated at 44 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of one of the preferred receptacles of the present invention, the receptacle being adapted to be easily and conveniently transported by the improved lift truck;

PEG. 6 is a perspective view of still another embodimerit of the lift truck of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line 77 indicated in PEG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the truck of FIG. 6 snowing the back of said truck;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along the line 9-9 indicated in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the improved lift truck of the present invention which is adapted to pick up and transport a stack of like receptacles;

H6. 11 is a side elevational view of the lift truck shown in FEG. 10; and,

FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along the line indicated at 12-12 in FIG. 11.

The present invention provides an improved lift truck 5, as seen in FIG. 1, for a stack of like receptacles 7, each receptacle '7 having rigid end members 8 spaced apart horizontally and located at a predetermined height above the bottom 9 of the associated receptacle 7. The receptacles '7 may be filled with bread and tiered as shown in FIG. 1.

In FIGURE 2, the lift truck 5 is shown empty without a stack of receptacles. In FIG. 3, the truck 5 is shown in association with two tiered receptacles '7 and in position under them so as to be able to pick them up.

Each receptacle, as best seen in FIGURE 5, has a horizontal clearway 1t] beneath each of its end members 8 opening toward side 11 or side 12 of the receptacle, lwhich clearway allows the truck to move toward the stack and insert lifting arms under end members 8. The truck 5 comprises a frame 14-, and wheel means including wheels 15 mounted on a common axle lie for supporting said frame for rolling movement along a path on a supporting surface 17.

Also in accordance with the present invention the lift truck has novel supporting means for supporting the stack of receptacles comprising parallel receptacle supporting arms 18 on said frame 14 parallel to said path and spaced apart with about the same spacing as the end members 8 of one of the receptacles so as to underlie and lift these end members. The arms 18 terminate at a height just under the predetermined vertical distance previously mentioned when the receptacle bottom 9 and the wheels 15 rest on a common supporting surface 17. Thus it is seen that the height of the arms 1% from the surface l? is important and when, before tilting, the height is just enough to allow the truck to be wheeled toward the arms 18 inserted under the stack and, when the position of the arms 13 is just beneath said end members 3, the truck can easily and conveniently pick up and move the stack.

Also, in accordance with the present invention, means is provided for causing the frame to move relatively upward with respect to said wheel means 15 and the supporting surface 17 whereby to clear the bottom 9 of the receptacle from said supporting surface for transportation of said stack by the truck 5. The means just described, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4, comprises a handle 2% which is rigidly connected to the frame namely the axle l6. tor (such as shown in FIG. 1) pulls downwardly on the handle 24}, the lift truck and entire stack can be tilted (see FIG. 1) with respect to the supporting surface 17, whereby arms 18 engage rails 3a of the end members 8 and the assembly of baskets or receptacles 7 can be picked up and wheeled away. The handle is rigidly connected to the frame 14 and its lower portion terminates into bent brackets 21, one bracket inside each wheel and each bracket having an opening through which the axle 16 passes. The axle 16, in turn, is rotatably supported on the frame by bearing on each end of the axle.

As shown in detail in FIGURE 3, end members 8 have outer rail portions 8a which, in the preferred embodiment shown, are engaged by the arms 18 and supported thereon.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the truck 5 is also provided with means comprising a pair of flat panel members 26 which engage the outer side of the bottom 9 of the receptacle 7 to help hold the receptacle end members 8 on the arms 18. The panels 26 are generally parallel to the arms 1% and help to hold the stack on said arms so that they cannot be loosened or shifted sideward during transportation. The panels 26 also provide guiding means to facilitate entry of the truck sup porting arms 13 under the upper end rails 8a of the receptacle.

Also as seen in FIGURE 3, each arm 13 is rigidly connected to the frame by means of an angle bar 23, the arm 18 being preferably spaced away from the panel members 26 to form a spaced opening 27 in which bottom rail 9b of the tiered rack 7b is disposed to prevent sidewise movement of the two tiered receptacles.

As noted in FIG. 3, whether the truck 5 is lifting one or two or more receptacles, such as receptacles 7 or 71), the arms 18 and panels 26 cooperate to support the bottom receptacle and prevent its motion laterally with respect to the support means and assembly whereby the truck can support and move the assembly.

Describing the preferred receptacle of the present invention, as illustrated in detail in FIG. 5, the rack "i is adapted for tiering with a like receptacle when full and also adapted for nesting with a like receptacle when empty. The receptacle 7 has the bottom portion 9 with lower edges a therearound and upper edge means defining upper edges including end members 8 generally in a plane parallel to and spaced above the bottom portion 9. Also, as seen in FIG. 1 and FIG. 5, each receptacle 7 also has side wall portions 11 and 12 connecting said bottom portion and upper edges.

Thus, the rack 7 just described is particularly well adapted to be transported by the truck having improved supporting means such as the arms 18 of truck 5. The racks can be quickly tiered, and as shown in FIG. 3, the top end members 8 provide upper tiering support for rails 9b of the bottom 9 of the upper rack 7b. Likewise, the racks 7 are readily nested as illustrated in H6. 12. The nested stack can be lifted by the truck in the same manner as a tiered stack.

In FIG. 6, another embodiment of the present invention is shown in the form of lift truck 40. The truck 4th is also adapted for lifting a stack of like receptacles such as receptacle 7 having rigid end members 8 spaced apart horizontally and at a predetermined height above the bottom 9 of the associated receptacle.

Again, as in the case of lift truck 5 shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the lift truck of FIGS. 6, 7, 8 and 9 is adapted to pick up a rack such as rack 7 having the horizontal clearway is beneath each of the end members 8 and opening towards one side of the receptacle. The truck comprises a frame 44 having a relatively large elongated rectangular portion 44a and a base portion 44b. The truck also has wheel means including a pair of generally parallel horizontally aligned wheels 45 mounted on the base 44b and supporting the frame 44 for rolling movement along a path on a supporting surface 47.

Novel means for supporting a stack of like receptacles is shown in FIGS. 6, 8 and 9. The supporting means includes a pair of generally parallel receptacle supporting arms 48 rigidly mounted on the frame 44 generally parallel to the path on the supporting surface above described and spaced apart about the same distance as the end members s of the receptacle 7. It is further noted that the arms 43 terminate at a height just under a predetermined vertical distance when the receptacle bottom 9 and the wheels 45 rest on the common supporting surface 47, whereby the truck may be wheeled toward the stack from one side to cause said arms to lie respectively beneath end rails so of the end members 8 as shown in detail in FIG. 9.

Further describing the invention, means is provided for causing the frame 44- to move upwardly relative to said wheels 55, whereby the bottom 9 of the receptacle is cleared from the supporting surface 47 for transportation of the receptacle 7 and any receptacles tiered or nested thereon. it is seen in the drawings that the tilting means provided for truck as includes handles 56 The handles may be pulled sidewardly and downwardly to move the rectangular portion of the frame from a generally vertical position to a position inclined to the vertical to tilt the truck and supported receptacles about an axis which is the straight line connecting the centers of the wheels 45.

it is noted in 6 that the wheel means or the truck, in addition to wheels 45, includes a third wheel 51 which helps provide rolling supporting for the truck when the rectangular portion 44a. is tilted away from the vertical position it is in when the truck is wheeled under receptacle 7. Thus the wheel 51 is mounted on the frame by support legs 52 and 53 in such a manner that the truck is balanced with the portion 44a in an inclined position even with a load of stacked or tiered receptacles. Thus the wheel 51 rolls along the supporting surface 47 with the wheels 4-5 after the stack has been picked up and is being transported.

As best seen in PEG. 9, the truck M has side panel members do which are spaced apart horizontally on the frame 44- and are preferably rigidly connected to the opposite side ends of the frame base 441;. The panels 56 are generally parallel to the path previously described and spaced apart with about the same spacing as the rails 8a of the end members 8 of the receptacle. The panel members 56 are so constructed and arranged that they just straddle and engage the outside edges 9a of the bottom portion 9 of the receptacle so that the top rails 8a of the receptacle end members cannot slip off the bar members 48, the bars 48 being disposed immediately beneath the end members.

It is also noted in FIG. 9 each of the panel members 56 preferably is of a predetermined height so that it nearly, but does not, quite, touch the supporting surface 47. Thus the panel 56 is mounted on the frame 44 so that it extends downwardly to the surface level 47 but does not reach the same and is spaced above it at a distance equal to, or preferably less than, the spacing of the adjacent bottom edge 9a from the surface 47. Thus, the panel member 56 has a height dimension just large enough to engage the lower portion 9 of the receptacle but not enough to prevent the truck from being wheeled under the stack for its initial pick-up positioning.

The panels 56 each support the bar arms 48 by angle bars 54 in a manner similar to that described in the case of panels 26 and arms 18 of truck 5. Each arm 48 also is spaced from the panel 56 to provide an opening 55 adapted to seat and hold a bottom edge 9a of a like receptacle tiered upon receptacle 7.

As an additional feature of the present invention, the means for securing tiered or nested receptacles to the upper end of the truck frame portion 44a is provided. As best seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, a rack securing means comprising a pair of brackets 57 is provided. Each bracket 57 is rigidly connected to one side of the frame portion 44a. Slidably disposed within each of said brackets is a movable elongated bar member 58. The member 58 slides along the frame in a position perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the rectangular frame portion 44a and the member 58 has a pair of hooks 59 mounted thereon, the hooks being adapted to engage one of the upper edges of a stacked or nested receptacle to thereby help hold the receptacle and stack on the truck. While generally not required to hold the receptacles in stacked relationship inasmuch as the supporting arms 48 and the panel members 56 hold the stack securely on the truck; the movable member 58 and its spaced hooks 59, just described, provide an additional steadying action in case of a greater-than-norrnal jolting.

As previously indicated, still another embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 10. As therein shown, a lift truck 60 is provided comprising a frame 64 and wheel means including a pair of generally parallel wheels 75 and a forward wheel 76 swivelably mounted on the frame 64 for rolling movement along the path on a supporting surface 67. The truck 60 has a pair of generally parallel receptacle supporting arms 68 rigidly connected to the frame 64 and generally parallel to the path. Again, as best seen in FIG. 12, the arms 68 are adapted to support a receptacle 77 which is similar in construction to receptacle 7. The receptacle 77 has rigid end members 78 spaced apart horizontally and at a predetermined vertical height above the bottom 78 of the associated receptacle. Also provided are horizontal clearways 80, similar to clearways of receptacle 7, and each clearway 80 is located beneath one of the receptacle end members 78 opening towards at least one side of the receptacle.

The truck 60 has its receptacle supporting arms 68 spaced apart with the same spacing as end members 78 of the receptacle, and, thus, is adapted to pick up the receptacle and hence a stack of tiered or nested receptacles. The arms 68 are shown in the end position under the end members of the bottom receptacle of a group of nested receptacles in FIG. 12. As illustrated in FIG. 12, the arms 68 terminate at a height just under the predetermined vertical distance when the receptacle bottom 79 and the wheels 75 and 76 rest on the common supporting surface 67 whereby the truck may be wheeled toward the stack from one side thereof to cause the arms 68 to lie respectively beneath the end members 78. As in the case of the lift trucks shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the lift truck 60 of FIG. 10 also has means of holding the receptacles in line and in nested relationship so that the end members 78 will not slip oif the supporting arms 68. The truck has a pair of parallel upper panels 82 which support the arms 68 and a pair of parallel lower platform panels 83, each panel 82 having an interior side 82a that is vertically aligned with the interior side 83a of panel 83 which straddles the bottom outer portions of the nested receptacles and also provides a means of guiding the truck in proper position under the stack.

In the particular embodiment shown in FIG. 12, each of the supporting arms 68 is mounted on the upper platform panel member 82 by an angle 84. Underneath and outwardly spaced therefrom is located the lower beam panel member 83, previously described, having the side 83a. This side 83a, as previously indicated, is adjacent to and straddles the outer marginal edges 79a and 79b, respectively, of the receptacles 77a and 77b which are nested in the receptacle 77. Thus the contact between panel platform side 83a and edges 79a and 79b prevents the receptacles from slipping off the supporting arms 68.

The lift truck 60 is particularly adapted to pick up nested receptacles, since one receptacle alone or tiered receptacles would be likely to slip off the arm 68. The nesting arrangement provides an additional rack securing means since each upper end member 78a of nested receptacle 77a is adapted to drop into the space 85 between each of the arms 68 and its corresponding panel side 82a where it rests on the top horizontal leg of angle 84.

Also, as in the case of the lift trucks shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the lift truck of FIG. 10 has means for causing the frame to move upwardly relative to the wheel means so as toclear the bottom 79 of the lowest receptacle from the supporting surface 67 for transportation of the nested stack by the truck. As seen in the drawings, the truck has a handle 86 and toggles 87, each toggle being pivotably connected to one of the movable platform panels 82 on one end and to one of the panel members 83 on the other end. The toggles, numbering four in total-two of which are on each side of the truck frame, raise and lower the panel 83 and the attached supporting arms 68, the lower position of the toggles being shown in FIG. 11 and the raised position shown in FIG- URE 12. Thus, when the toggles 87 and attached panels 82 are in their lower or collapsed position, the track can be wheeled under the stack. Thereafter, the supporting arms 68 may be lifted up by the toggles 87 to provide support for the end members 78 of the lowest nested receptacle and thus support or transport the receptacles.

As seen in FIGS. 10 and 12, the toggle means for raising supporting arms 68 includes a foot bar 90 which is carried between a pair of elongated link arms 89. When the foot bar 90 is pushed downwardly from its position shown in FIGURE 11, the foot bar ends of the link arms 89 travel downwardly in an arc to the position shown in FIG. 10. The above described action of the link arms 89 also pulls connecting link arms 91 and 92 downwardly to more horizontal positions as shown in FIG. 10. When each of the arms 92, each of which is pivotably connected to the panel 82 at one end at pivot point 93, travels to a nearly horizontal position, its corresponding panel member travels upwardly to an elevated position remaining substantially parallel to the supporting surface 67 so that the arm 68 can engage the end members 78 of the receptacle 77.

As best seen in FIG. 10, each of the link arms 91 is pivotably attached to a cross rod 94 substantially parallel to the foot bar 98. Each of the ends of the link arms 89 opposite the foot bar is also pivotably connected to the rod 94. A pull chain 96 and a locking bar 97 are provided to lock the panel members 82 in their raised position, the locking bar having a notch 98 that engages the edge of handle base plate 99.

When the platform is to be lowered from its raised position, the pull chain 96 can be tensioned to pull the locking bar away from its locked position with plate 99 as shown in FIG. 10 to its unlocked position shown in FIG. 11. When the locking bar 97 is disengaged, the weight of the panel members 82 lowers the same to their lower position shown in FIG. 11. It is seen that the toggles 87 even in the elevated position are not vertical and thus are easily returned by the weight of the panel members 82 to the lower stack-engaging position merely by unhooking the locking bar 97.

Thus, in the lift truck 60 just described, toggle means is used to lift the suporting arms 68 vertically relative to the wheels of the lift truck so as to engage the upper end members of a receptacle. In the embodiments of the lift truck shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, tilting means, including the handles described, are used to lift the supporting arms with respect to the wheel means to engage and support the receptacles and clear the bottom thereof from the supporting surface.

It is to be understood that modifications and variations of the present invention other than those described herein may be made which are within the scope of the present invention according to the patent statutes.

What is claimed is:

1. A lift truck for a stack of like receptacles, each receptacle having top and bottom members, said top member including rigid end members spaced apart horizontally on opposite lateral sides of said top member and at a predetermined vertical height above the bottom of the associated receptacle said bottom member including rigid end members spaced apart horizontally on opposite lateral sides of the bottom member, each of said bottom end members being generally parallel to and disposed outwardly from its corresponding top end member, there being a horizontal clearway in each receptacle beneath each of said top end members opening toward one side of the receptacle; said truck comprising a frame, wheel means supporting said frame for rolling movement along a path on a supporting surface, parallel receptacle supporting arms on said frame generally parallel to said path and spaced apart with the same spacing as said top end members of a receptacle, said arm terminating at a height just under said predetermined vertical height when said receptacle bottom and said wheel means rest on a cmmon supporting surface, whereby said truck may be wheeled toward said stack from one side to cause said arms to lie respectively beneath said top end members, means for causing said frame to move upwardly relative to said Wheel means, whereby to clear the bottom receptacle from said supporting surface for transportation of said stack by said truck, and stack-engaging means 011 said frame for contacting and engaging said stack on opposite lateral sides thereof and being generally parallel to said arms to thereby hold said stack on said arms, said stack-engaging means including means defining a clearway outwardly of the outward lateral side of each of said arms and extending below each of the arms sufiiciently to lie outside the bottom rigid end members of a receptacle resting on said arms whereby each arm is spaced from the stack-engaging means to form a passageway for a bottom end member of a receptacle tiered upon the bottom receptacle to thereby help guide the truck underneath said stack and thereby get into a position to pick up the stack.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which said stackengaging means includes a pair of generally parallel and horizontally aligned panels rigidly mounted on said frame and rigidly supporting said arm at said predetermined vertical height, each of said panels engaging at least one or" the end members of said receptacles of said stack to help prevent said stack from moving laterally.

3. The combination as defined in claim 1 in which means for causing the frame to move upwardly relative to said wheel means comprises tOggle means rigidly connected to the frame for lifting the same and moving the same upwardly.

4. The combination of claim 1 in which said stackengaging means includes a pair of generally parallel and horizontally aligned panels rigidly mounted on said frame and rigidly supporting said arms at said predetermined vertical height, each of said panels engaging at least one of the end members of said receptacles of said stack to help prevent said stack from moving laterally, the height of the top of each of the panels and the height of its associated stack supporting arm being about the same and the width of each of said clearways being about equal to the width of its associated stack supporting arm.

5. The combination of claim 1 in which the wheel means includes two wheels on a common axis at the operator side of said frame and handle means rigid with said frame for tilting said arms about said axis, said wheel means also including a third Wheel swivelably mounted on said frame and adapted to help provide rolling support for the truck when the stack has been picked up.

6. The combination as defined in claim 5 in which locking means is provided on said frame for holding the upper portion of the stack of receptacles against said frame to thereby help hold said stack on the arms of the truck.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES IATENTS 990,936 West May 2, 1911 1,021,880 Nebel etal Apr. 2, 1912 1,460,266 Monroe June 26, 1923 1,971,952 Townsend Aug. 28, 1934 2,533,352 Chapman Dec. 12, 1950 2,650,834 Coval Sept. 1, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 876,360 Germany May 11, 1953 528,952 Italy June 17, 1955 

